Black Soul
by Divine Mystery
Summary: Black-Soul. Collaboration with Pectus Noctem, author of Vindicated . Murders ravage the town of Inaba once more and even worse Adachi has gone missing from jail. Can the Investigation Team and their new friends stop the murders. Updates will be slow.
1. Chapter 1: Family Bearings

**Author's Note: Hello there eveyone. This is a Callab with a writer on here by the name of Pectus Noctem. You may know her from her work with Vindicated. Check out this little thing we came up with.**

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Chapter 1:_Family Bearings._

_Today was just another day to him. He had skipped school again and was on his way to the park to loiter like he always did. His dark green eyes had the same bored look in them that they always had._

_On his way to the park he got a text from his cousin telling him that she maybe leaving soon to a place named Inaba. His eyes sparkled with delight as he read her message. _

_That's how it was for Raijū Ichimaru. He found everything so dull until it came to his cousin Asami. He replied telling her that he'd be coming with her and he wasn't going to take no for an answer. He told her that they had to stick together or he'd go crazy._

_Afterward he called his mom telling her about his cousin's trip and that he'd be going._

"I know that mom, but I wanna go with her." _Raijū said as he waited for his mother to say he could go._

"Fine! Raijū go! But you had better behave, and go to school. You two should be going to the same school so there isn't an excuse for you not to go to school." _Raijū's Mother said._

"Yeah… whatever…. Fine. Thanks mom." _Raijū said as he ran towards his house hanging up his phone._

_Once he got home he ran up the stairs and into his room as he began packing everything he would need. He heard the door open and close telling him his mother was home from work._

"Is it really that late?" _He asked himself as he stared at the clock that read 4:30pm._

_Raijū rushed down the stairs and headed toward the kitchen. His mother was making some tea as she talked on the phone to someone. He listened in enough to know his mother was talking to Toya-san. His cousin's mother most likely enjoyed the idea of him going and he heard his mother say._

"Treat him like his yours then Kana-san. If he doesn't mind, don't be scared to crack him across the head from time to time." _That was all Raijū heard as he walked out of the kitchen and back upstairs to his room. _

_Raijū jumped onto his bed laying there as he smiled at the idea of living with his cousin. He loved her more than anything in the world, he wouldn't tell her but she was the only interesting thing to him in this world. He decided to take a nap until dinner was ready. His mother wouldn't start cooking until about 6:15 or so. He closed his eyes with a content smile on his face as he thought about the future with his cousin, his Asami._

_The day went on without a hitch for Raijū as he got what little work he had left done after he woke up, and ate. He rounded his day off with a bath and fell asleep on his bed at 11:54 pm._

_Six minutes later after Raijū fell asleep, elsewhere in Okinawa…_

_----_

_It was midnight. The dark hour._

_The darkness pressed in close around the little house, trapping it within shadow. Save the little pinprick of light that was dully visible in a single window in the house. Inside, a figure, a person, held a flashlight in between their knees and balanced a heavy book on their stomach as they leaned against the bed's headboard._

_Three Tarot cards were splayed out loosely in front of them, not yet flipped over. The backs of the Tarot Cards were an interesting design, made of blue and silver. A masked figure was on them, half colored in blue and half colored in silver, the person, ran a hand through their black hair, wiping wet bangsout of their eyes. They tucked the strands behind their left ear, and flipped over the first card slowly, carefully._

_On this card, a jester was dancing, a dog yapping at their heels. _

_The figure leafed through the frayed pages of the book, muttering,_"Let's see… this position means the immediate future… and The Fool means…" _The figure glanced up, looking at the card again through greenish-gray eyes. _"Okay, the reversed Fool means… a clear warning to not act immaturely or recklessly in a new situation…"

_The figure snorted, glaring at the fraying page she had turned to,_

"Tch… how can you be reckless in such a backwater town as Inaba?"

_Reaching over the book, the figure flipped over a second card. This card had a woman on it, surrounded by a clear aura of grand light. Turning a few pages again, the girl muttered,_

"This position's the present… Okay, the High Priestess means… I have to wary of hidden obstacles and enemies…"

_The girl scrunched up her face, and rolled her eyes. She said,_

"Seriously? Seriously, you silly cards?" She sighed. "I mean really, I'm going to Inaba, for Pete's sake. Y'know, Inaba, that country town that's not even on the map."

_Shaking her head, the girl flipped over the final card. She tensed, her arm trembling as she noticed the design on this card._

_This card had a skeleton on a white horse, holding a single white rose between its skeletal fingers. _

_The girl shakily mumbled, _"Death… in the far future… this card means… a great change."

_The girl refused to turn the pages of her book to check the meaning. Instead,she stared blankly at the card. She'd never drawn Death before from her pack of Tarot Cards. Silently, she wondered if going to Inaba was really a wise __idea._

"Nonsense," She thought to herself, biting her lip. "Raijū wants to go with me, so I'll be safe…"

_On her door, someone knocked three times, and said in a loud, uppity voice,_

"Asami! Are you still awake!?"

_Asami Toya nearly flung the book out of her hands in shock._

"Go to bed!"

_As Asami listened to her mother walk away down the hall, she thought, picking her book up off the floor._

"Inaba will be perfectly safe. I know it. The murders or whatever happened there are over with, right?"

_In the coming days, Asami would be proven to be wrong._

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**Author's Note:** _**Tell us what you think about this first chapter. Also don't forget to checkout Vindicated and Its Hell Getting To Heaven locted in the Persona Section. Review.**_


	2. Sidetracked Future

**Author's Note:_ This took longer then expected, but both of us have been very busy with our seperate stories. Enjoy._**

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**Sidetracked Future**

Raijū woke up in a haze as he sat up from his bed. He rubbed his eyes finally looking up to see that he was no longer in his room, but in a different one. The room was a heavy dark blue, with only a girl dressed in all blue. She brushed her colorless white hair from her face opening her alluring golden eyes. She looked as if she were the same age as him. Raijū spared a glance around the entire room he was in, and noticed that there was only a bed, a loveseat, and a chair. The girl was sitting on the edge of the bed looking at Raijū with a small smile on her face as she clutched a big blue book in her arms. Raijū took a longer better look at the girl as his eyes adjust to the lighting in the room.

"I can't believe it. Why would you dye your hair… Asami-san."

"I am not who I appear to be. My name is Konan, I am a resident here in the Velvet Room." She said as she scooted closer to Raijū leaning into his bare chest.

Slightly shocked Raijū looked down at the girl in his arms, as if to answer his question before he got it out Konan looked into his eyes before speaking again.

"You are fast asleep in the real world. This place exist between dream and reality mind and matter, only those who are bound by a contract may enter here. It also seems that a similar fate awaits you in the near future. I want to request something of you before my master…."

"My, my it would seem that we have a guest."

Raijū glanced over at the loveseat to see a bizarre old man with an abnormally long nose.

"Greetings, my name is Igor and I too am a resident of this Velvet Room. Would you kindly do me the honor of telling me your name?" The bizarre man asked a kind, yet unsettling grin on his face.

"My name is Raijū Ichimaru. Why am I here, I didn't sign a contract and I don't think I'll be signing one in the future either." Raijū said feeling Konan tense up in his arms.

"I wouldn't be so sure of that my dear boy, alas that is yet to be seen. Igor paused waving his hand over the space in front of him making a coffee table with a deck of cards on it, before continuing. "Do you believe in fortune telling?"

Raijū barely choked down a laugh before answering the question.

"Hahah-No. I also don't believe in Yokai, but I'll try anything once. Lay it on me Igor."

Igor stared at Raijū for a few minutes blinking before continuing.

"…. Uh…. Very well then." Igor paused again as he snapped his fingers and the deck of cards turned into three face down cards. "Let's see the first card is…. The Hanged-Man in the reversed position. This position means the immediate future, so it would seem that you will soon become a very selfish, and suffer from critical losses. Because of your failure to act you will be unable act, or progress."

Raijū chuckled slightly as he shook his head not worrying about it.

"The card telling the future beyond that is…. The Magician in the reversed position. This card in this position means Confusion, the inability to utilize time or talents. Lacking of inspiration or energy, giving up easily and poor coordination.

Raijū once again chuckled slightly as he shook his head. Konan moved slowly, back to her position at the end of the bed as Igor continued.

"Lastly the card telling the future far beyond that is…. Igor stared with a grimace at the card in his hand. He had never drawn this card ever. Igor took a moment to gather his thoughts before setting the card on the table.

Lastly the card telling the future far beyond that is… Death in the upright position. This card means an Alteration. The end of a phase in life which has served its purpose. An abrupt and complete change of circumstances, way of life and patterns of behavior due to past events and actions. It would appear that a major change will occur in your life and it will transform your way of thinking and life permanently. I have never in my time of residence in this Velvet Room drawn the Death Arcana. I wish you the best on your future journey young man, for now farewell."

Raijū opened his again smirking to himself as he noticed he was in his room again. Quickly glancing at the clock that read 11:50am and he decided to get a shower to start a day that he was looking forward to.

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Asami was listless as she packed her clothes. Her hands moved on their own, on muscle memory, and the clothes she held in her hand were blurred, like giant smears on her vision. The drawing of the Death card plagued her mind, invading her dreams and poisoning them with nightmares.

She distantly wondered if going to Inaba was truly, truly a good idea.

Shaking it off, Asami folded her skirt in half, tucked it into her suitcase and zipped the suitcase closed, the sound ripping through the air a little too loudly. Asami shivered. There was a sense of dread that she just couldn't shake off. It haunted her, almost.

Snatching the surprisingly heavy suitcase off the bed, She rolled it across her room, and stopped as she noticed that she'd almost forgotten her Tarot Cards. She reached for them, her hand trembling slightly. She flipped over the first card, grimaced at the image of Death, and put it back on top, away from her view.

"I'm being stupid." She thought to herself, tucking the Tarot Cards inside a side pocket in her suitcase. "Raijū will be there for me."

And just like that, cool as a cucumber, Asami left the house, feeling the beginnings of a great day forming in the back of her mind.

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Sensei!!! Sensei!!! Yosuke said you're coming back!!! Yay!!

Souji smiled blankly at the text, rolled over in the bed in his apartment, and smiled into the fluffy pillow.

He was going to have one hell of a welcoming party. That would be for sure.

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**Ending comments: _We will try to update sometime soon, I gotta give credit to Pectus for her part as well as for Beta-reading it. Stay Tuned._**


	3. Chapter 2: The tarot of the future

**Chapter 2: **The tarot of the future.

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Raijū had an excited smile on his face as he walked into the train station looking around for his young cousin. As he glanced around the area he spotted someone, a girl with black hair who looked very familiar to him sitting at a bench. His smile grew wider as he approached the bench and silently peered over the girl's shoulder to see what she was fiddling with.

It was those damn Tarot Cards, glittering silver and blue in the light. Asami looked lost, almost, as if she were thinking distantly of something that had happened to her. Most likely, something that had to do with those stupid cards of hers. Asami and her stupid cards, they always made the poor girl think about things too much.

Raijū frowned as he saw what she was had. He never did like those damn cards, but he got over it for his cousin's sake. Smiling gently he walked around and stared down at her, waiting for her to look up to speak to him. Sure he talked to her through text messages, but he hadn't seen her in a while and he couldn't help the small blush that appeared on his face from seeing his more mature looking cousin.

Asami tapped her forefinger on the deck of cards, looking down and kicking lightly at a small pebble with her foot, behind them, a silver-haired man headed into the train. After a few minutes, Raijū said...

"Hey um.... Asami." Asami glanced up at Raijū as he smiled again. Asami, our train's here. We better go get on it or we'll get left." Raijū said as he picked up his and Asami's bag and waited until she moved toward the train.

As they got on they settled in a car that at first seemed to have no one, but upon closer inspection revealed a silver-haired man was also in the car as well. Raijū Put the bags up as Asami sat down and after he got everything upright he sat in the seat opposite to hers.

"That guy looks weird. Don't you think?" Asami asked cheerfully, replacing her small frown with a slightly beaming smile. "Gray hair's pretty odd. Wonder if he dyes it." She was still fiddling with the Tarot Cards, effectively proving that she was obviously faking her cheery demeanor. Asami wouldn't admit it, but she had a habit of fiddling with things in her hands whenever she was nervous.

Raijū glanced over at the person she was talking about and then stared back at her as she fiddled with the cards.

"Yeah your right Asami-chan. I think its kinda cool though, y'know having grey hair while your still young looking. Raijū said as he continued to stare at his clearly nervous cousin. "Asami, if you keep doing that you'll destroy your cards. Why'd you bring those things anyway?" Raijū asked sounding slightly annoyed.

With that, Asami glared at him. "I can always get new ones y'know. These are getting pretty old. So old, in fact, that I bet they're not working right anymore." Raijū fidgeted, Asami usually never yelled at him. She must have been pretty agitated.

"And I brought them because I never leave anywhere without them. You know that." She cocked a single black eyebrow, frowning again.

"Anyway, gray hair is pretty cool huh, my friend Yuri was thinking about dying her hair gray for some cosplay show. I told her she was stupid."

Raijū was silent for a few minutes before he spoke again.

"I'm sorry Asami... I didn't mean to set you off. I just figured I'd ask one more time about these cards. I don't see why your angry at me about some cards that have no real use at all." Raijū paused as her glare turned soul piercing. I... uh.... Who was your friend going to be?" Raijū asked trying to get the heated glare off him.

Asami rolled her eyes. "Oh, Raijū, don't even get me started! These cards are perfect!" But she put them in her purse anyway, turned back to Raijū and said, "Soujiko or something from some Shin Megami Tensei game. I think she said something about cross-dressing pageants but I kinda shut her out right around there."

The silver-haired man looked around at the name 'Soujiko', but then turned back again, looking at a photo in his hands.

"Um... Okay." Raijū smiled.

As they passed time talking Raijū noticed that his cousin was staring at her purse where she had just recently put the tarot cards.

"Asami, if you wanna continue holding those cards you can. All I ask is why they matter? There not meant for playing with, so what use do they have?" Raijū asked trying to cheer his cousin up.

"Huh? What?" Asami looked up blinking wearily. She wasn't listening.

Raijū glanced over his shoulder at the ashen-haired man who was looking at a picture and then he glanced back at Asami. "Asami you've either been fiddling with those useless cards or you've been looking at that gray-haired guy. Whats up with you? Is there something bothering you? You know you can tell me anything, I'm here for you. Raijū said, his eyes full of concern for his younger cousin.

Asami pouted, "It's nothing. You'll just say I'm stupid anyway." And with that, Asami crossed her arms and glared out the window, watching the countryside speed by.

Raijū moved to sit between his cousin and the window looking her in her greenish grey eyes with dark green ones.

"Tell me Asami. I won't call stupid I promise. Tell me if there's something bothering you.

Asami bit her lip, obviously contemplating whether or not to tell Raijū.

"I used my Tarot Cards last night, asking what would happen when I came to Inaba and..." She bit her lip even harder. "I pulled the DEATH card, Raijū. DEATH."

Raijū frowned as he stared at his cousin in disbelief, but as he thought about it the memory of what happened in the blue room came back to him.

Yeah, so did I. Whats wrong with that?

"Raijū," Asami admonished. "DEATH. Y'know, death? The thing that makes you mortal?" She frowned, but there was a hint of amusement in her eyes. "Where have you been the past millennium?"

"Under a rock from the looks of it. Its just a card, what can it possible do?" Raijū asked slightly interested now.

Asami crossed her arms and fixed Raijū with a cold, callous glare. "Why do you care, s'not like you believe this stuff, anyway!" She was being a child, Asami knew, but it was the easiest way to get Raijū off her back.

"Then do a reading. I know thats what those cards are used for. I know you Asami, I know you better then anyone. You think I'm a nonbeliever, then make a believer right now." Raijū glanced over at the unsuspecting grey-haired stranger.

"Hey buddy! Yeah you, the guy with the grey hair, come here and let my cousin give you a tarot reading." Raijū asked as the grey haired fellow stared at him.

Souji Seta stared incredulously at the boy that had called him over, then over at his cousin. He was reminded vaguely of Margaret, the woman he had become friends with in the Velvet Room. Asami shot Raijū a green-eyed glare, full of slight shock and whole embarrassment,

"Raijū! Leave him alone!"

"C'mon sir, I'm sure you'll get a good reading." Raijū asked the grey-haired man ignoring his cousin.

Souji Seta shrugged, "Can't hurt to try. Sure." Though, in actuality, Souji was a little worried. After all, hadn't he gotten his fortune read before the murders? On this very train? This had to be more than coincidence.

Yes, this had to be fate.

"Thats a good sport." Raijū said sliding the mini table out for the cards to be layed on. "Go ahead Asami, read him his fortune." Raijū said anxiously.

Asami shot Raijū one last heated glare, stuck her hands in her purse and pulled out the Tarot Cards. She shuffled them, and laid three face-down on the train's mini-table.

She flipped the one on the far left over first.

"The Fool," She whispered, "In the reversed position. This means the return of a naive or callous person in your life." She flipped the one in the middle over this time, "The Devil, in the reversed position." She sighed. "This means a great, powerful change that shall come with the Fool." Finally, she ran her fingers along the card on the far right. "The Wheel Of Fortune, in the upright position. This means a great deal of drastic changes that shall occur in your life."

"Um... I don't think that was a proper reading Asami." Raijū said as Souji Seta chuckled.

Asami crossed her arms and pouted.

"Sorry about this man. I figured she'd be more ready to prove something, but I guess I was wrong or maybe its that time...." Raijū stopped in mid-sentence as he felt like danger was all around him.

Asami flushed, and kicked the mini table so it clanged into Raijū slightly. Souji chuckled.

"Ugh... I deserved that" Raijū cried out silently as the table struck him.

Souji looked at Asami with a calm smile and asked...

"Could you please give me a proper reading?"

Asami smiled back. If you looked closely, the gray-haired guy was kind of handsome. She ignored Raijū's groans and moans about the pain and the bruise he was going to get in the morning and asked the gray-haired guy politely,"By proper, what do you mean?"

Souji sat across from Asami not breaking eye contact as his kind smile only grew.

"I mean a reading that has heart, that has a soul and not one that was thrown together like it didn't matter." Souji said as he too ignored Raijū's groans of pain in the back ground.

"I see." Asami said.

"Can you please do this?" Souji asked, the smile not faltering.

Asami, who looked obviously uncomfortable with giving Souji a reading, glared angrily at Raijū before closing her eyes and slowly shuffling the cards. She took out the small, worn and frayed Tarot book from her purse as well, placing it in her lap.

"Celtic Cross, or Three Fates?" She asked Souji, still shuffling the cards.

Raijū rubbed his side as Souji spoke.

"Celtic Cross."

Asami broke the deck in half, bridged it, and placed nine cards face down in an elaborate, complex cross. She reached for the first card, face down on the white mini-table and flipped it over. On this card, two people hugged each other happily, but they were reversed.

"The Lovers, reversed. In this position, this card represents the atmosphere surrounding a central issue in your life. Or a central issue in a future problem. Usually it means happiness and blah, blah, blah but here, reversed..." Asami frowned. "It represents inner strife, the evolving of a shadow of sorts."

Souji frowned slightly at the word 'shadow'. Raijū perked up slightly, looking interested. He'd never seen Asami doing her Tarot reading before. This was interesting, intriguing, if you watched. Asami reached for the card next to the reversed Lovers,

"The Ace Of Cups, reversed. In this position, this card represents the single obstacle that stands in your way in the future. This represents an unexpected message, or the start of a new friendship or romance that is sure to end in tragedy." Asami smiled, beamed up at Souji. "Do you have someone you like in Inaba, mister?"

Souji glanced away, frowning. Asami giggled and reached for the card below that one. On this card, there was a lone man holding a single, elongated staff. Asami tilted her head,

"Oh, here's one I haven't seen in a while. The Page of Wands, reversed. In this position, it represents someone who will or has had a significant impact on your life. Reversed, this card represents a trickster who's betrayed you in the past."

There was a small smile that tugged at the corner of Souji's lips. Raijū looked at Souji interestedly, as if he were a neat little June bug on the sidewalk. Asami reached for the card below that one. On this card, there was a naked baby on a white horse, surrounded by sunlight.

"The Sun, in the upright position. In this position, it represents the foundation on which the future problem is based on. The Sun represents contentment. Maybe... you are too content with what you have?"

Asami reached for another card. Flipped it over, and smiled.

"Strength, reversed. Here, it represents a passing influence. It represents confusion, and a complete lack of preparedness of what's to come."

Souji tilted his head. Interesting, intriguing, this reading. Asami reached for another card.

"Nine Of Wands, reversed. Here, it represents your role or part in what's to come. A faltering will, delayed actions, efforts compromised by many saboteurs."

Asami looked up at Souji, and nodded to the three cards left.

"Should I stop? Or do you have a basic idea of what's to come?"

Souji looked down at the cards as if considering something as Raijū broke in.

"Um... thats kinda cool Asami."

"Oh, wow, looks like I made Raijū actually believe. You don't have to pretend y'know."

It was at that moment, when the intercom person's voice rang out,

"Attention all passengers, we will be arriving in Yasoinaba in five minutes."

Asami looked up at Souji,

"Oh geez, sorry mister, I guess we can't finish this, can we?"Little did she know, one of those cards, was the card of Death.

"Actually I still think that stuff is bogus, but it is cool to watch." Raijū said smirking

Ignoring Raijū Souji spoke up.

"Could you flip over just one more card please."

Asami nodded, and flipped over a single card. On this card, there was a skeletal man riding on a dragon, holding a large flag with a single, beautiful white rose on it.

"D-Death, in the upright position..." Asami voice shook, her skin paled. "In this position it represents the outcome of your fate..."

Asami let out a deep sigh, and forced down the tears. Him too, then? What would happen to them, in this backwash town? In this small Nowheresville?

Souji's expression hardened.

Raijū looked at Asami and Souji in sheer disbelief.

"You guys are turning emo over a card?"

Raijū! It's death! DEATH! You're the biggest bigot I've ever met!" Asami glared at him, strands of black hair falling across her face.

As the train came to a stop Souji stood and with a small wave at Asami and Raijū he exited the train.

"You're fretting over nothing. I got this card and I'm perfectly fine." Raijū said as he moved to get their things out of the compartment.

Asami stood as well, shooting Raijū a strange look. "You got this card too? What do you mean?"

She didn't believe, she couldn't, that Raijū would go get his fortune told in person, so what did he mean by that? Asami's green eyes hardened like chips of ice.

Raijū suddenly felt as if hell itself had been unleashed on him as he turned to face his cousin.

"I was in some room and this girl who looked sorta like you was there. She was about to ask me something when this bizarre old man pulled out a deck of those ridiculous cards. He laid three cards face down and my last card was the death." He sounded just as grim as you. Raijū said as he looked at her.

Asami brought the edge of her thumb to her mouth, tracing her lips. "Raijū, that has to be the biggest bullshit lie I've ever heard. Now, what REALLY happened?"

Thats the truth Asami! I'm sorry if I'm not as good as you at telling stories, but that really happened. Raijū said as he began to walk toward the exit of the train.

Asami rolled her eyes, and followed Raijū towards the exit of the train.

Raijū and Asami walked outside the station as the world them turned grey. Raijū looked over at his cousin to ask her if she noticed only to see that she too had been frozen with dreary grey surroundings.

"Do not be afraid, Child Of Man. She is alright." A women's voice said from a few feat in front of Raijū.

He glanced up too see a women with grey hair over her shoulders and heavy red eyes.

"You..., who are you...?" Raijū asked frightened.

"I am the goddess Izanami and I wish to give you a message. Things are not as the seem, there is a new more fierce evil approaching this rural town and you will need this in order to defend yourself from it." Izanami said as she hovered toward Raijū, placing a single hand on his head.

A few moments later Izanami faded away as the color returned to the world. Raijū's vision went black as he fell backwards leaving toward his subconscious.

Asami watched as Raijū fell, dropping all their things with a loud CLUNK. She jumped down to crouch beside him, to see if he was alright, and she noticed a rather large group of teenagers running towards them. Among those people, Asami picked out the silver-haired man they'd met on the train.

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**Author's Note: **Pectus and I are really getting busy and her addiction to Adachi isn't helping us any. I'll try to pull her away and get her working with me. I'll see you guys soon.


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